Inside Pitch: Mackenzie Fitzpatrick Overcomes Setbacks to Find Her “Perfect Fit”

A key line from the 1999 comic sci fi movie Galaxy Quest with Time Allen and Sigourney Weaver was “Never give up, never surrender.”

That could be the motto as well for 2019 grad Mackenzie Fitzpatrick, an outfielder/first baseman from New Jersey who is a great example of perseverance through setbacks including criticism she wasn’t good enough to play club ball, let alone college softball.

Determined to prove her naysayers wrong, Mackenzie eventually made a top club program but then faced concussion worries that seemed at the time could curtail her promising career.

Michelle Neveling, a coach for the South Jersey Mystics-Jackson club team on which the senior plays, says: “Mackenzie is the epitome of overcoming adversity–not just overcoming a huge obstacle standing in her way, but overcoming this obstacle at the most important time of her young career.”

“Mackenzie was going into her crucial junior year when she suffered her second concussion. This is a super important recruiting time–the fall of the junior year–and she had camps, clinics and tournaments lined up. Mackenzie had practiced her butt off, worked out profusely, and networked the colleges she was interested in whole-heartedly.”

“She cried, she doubted herself, but she also stayed true to her unbelievable work ethic and listened well to our advice. I told her if she continued to work hard, believe in the process and went after what she wanted, she would succeed. It was all mental.”

“Once she got over the diagnosis, she was all in on setting goals. I told her she could quit or fight and she fought. She wanted UConn and went all in on that school. Mackenzie simply put her mind to it and achieved.”

“Once cleared, she proved to the school she could outwork most kids, she hit like a monster that fall and stayed true to who she is. Mackenzie is tough as nails and showed it. Simply put, she outworked her peers physically and mentally to become a UConn Husky!”

Mystics Head Coach Stacy Jackson adds: ”

“Fitz has always been a hard-working athlete who has made her way through the SJ Mystics org. Our hearts broke as we watched her flip over the fence in Atlanta. We had hoped that it wasn’t a concussion, but it was.”

“She wasn’t discouraged for very long as it motivated her to go to as many college clinics as she could once she was cleared. Her determination and her will to succeed paid off at the Team NJ tournament: in her first game where UConn came to watch, she drove two doubles to the opposite field!”

“It was amazing to watch as we thought she wouldn’t be able to play at game speed. She also launched a home run that day. As coaches, we were in awe of her comeback, it was truly impressive!”

A success story on and off the field, Mackenzie carries a 4.725 GPA and keeps busy at school being in the student government while earning 2nd team All-South Jersey, 1st team All-Conference and All-County honors in between the lines.

Here’s her first-person account of how “never gave up” and “never surrendered” to realize her dream of getting to play at the college level…

*****

My name is Mackenzie Fitzpatrick, and I am a rising senior at Burlington Township High School in New Jersey.

I am writing because I feel like my story can help others. My freshman year in high school, I quit a travel ball team because I was constantly told I would never be good enough to play college softball.

I eventually believed it, and only focused on playing high school ball.

After having a successful season of making 2nd Team All-Conference and starting every game pitching, I decided to join the South Jersey Mystics. I was working extremely hard, preparing for showcase tournaments and camps, and my recruiting began to heat up.

I felt my strongest ever heading into my sophomore season, before receiving a concussion during the third day of tryouts in March, 2017. I was devastated and didn’t play in a game until May.

It took me some time to get back to where I wanted to be, and again was ready for the travel ball season. My recruiting was coming full circle, until my team played in the Atlanta Legacy tournament in July of 2017.

I was playing left field in the semi-final game and in the first inning I dove over the fence for a home run ball and landed on my head. While I successfully knocked the ball back into play, I endured yet another concussion.

After a few days, I actually felt great, but when I went to the doctor, I was told I should stay away from games for six months.

I went home devastated again and confused, but I continued to train and went on visits to colleges and attended camps. My parents and I decided to get a second opinion and I was cleared to play!

I was working my absolute hardest, lifting in the gym, hitting off my tee every day and I verbally accepted a scholarship to UConn in October 2017.

UConn is my perfect fit and I love the coaches and atmosphere!

I am so excited to be a part of UConn Nation and I want everyone to know you can do anything through hard work and perseverance.

If you want something bad enough, you can have it!

It is going to take extremely hard work for me: Friday nights spent in the gym, spending the day at Mom’s work so we can go straight to batting lessons after she gets off, missing social gatherings for sleep since there’s an 8 am game the next morning.

Just know that your hard work will pay off, no matter how many setbacks you may encounter.